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Municipal cops jailed for assaulting messenger of court

FOUR municipal police officers employed by Gweru City Council were yesterday jailed for an effective nine months each for assaulting a messenger of court and blocking him from attaching council property two months ago.

BY Stephen Chadenga

The four — Misheck Mutindindi (39), Bernard Mambo (44), Samson Samukute (36) and Arthur Dovo — were convicted for assaulting Phanuel Kafudzaruwa during the course of his duty on March 21. Mutindindi, Mambo and Samukute were convicted on two counts of assault and obstructing the course of justice, while Dovo was convicted on one count of assault.

Magistrate Shotgame Musaiona sentenced the four to 15 months each before suspending six months on condition of good behaviour.

The court heard that on March 21, Kafudzaruwa went to the City of Gweru offices to execute a High Court order number HC 8151/15, which entitled him to attach some property.

He approached the four officers, who were sitting in a council vehicle and introduced himself before taking the car keys.

When Kufadzaruwa was moving away from the vehicle, Mambo pulled him by his belt and hit him once on the ribs, before his colleagues joined in and force-marched the court official to their bosses.

Dovo then drove the vehicle, which was supposed to be attached, to an unkown destination.

Kafudzaruwa sustained bruises on his right hand fingers, pain on the right hand elbow and backbone as a result of the assault.